Alabama and Louisiana are making significant strides toward enacting major reforms supported by the Mackinac Center’s Workers for Opportunity (WFO) initiative.

Alabama’s state legislature passed Senate Bill 231, to require a private ballot vote on unionization efforts at companies that receive state taxpayer-funded incentives. Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill May 13.

The Workers for Opportunity team was proud to be part of this successful effort and we’re thankful for our partners at the Alabama Policy Institute, particularly its president and CEO, Stephanie Smith. Her testimony, and her knowledge of the legislative process in her home state, was effective and helped drive home the importance of protecting workers’ freedoms.

Of course, public policy wins require principled and strong leadership from legislators. State Sen. Arthur Orr was a terrific bill sponsor, shepherding the bill through his chamber and working closely with House Majority Leader Rep. Scott Stadthagen to ensure the legislation would pass.

In a step that illustrates the value of WFO’s work, Sen. Orr introduced his bill after reading about our success in Georgia and deciding Alabama’s workers deserved the same protections their neighbors enjoyed. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better example of how good public policy is contagious!

And we’re not done yet. In Louisiana, we are working hand-in-hand with our allies at the Pelican Institute in the waning days of the legislative session to educate and encourage lawmakers to pass a worker freedom bill package. My colleague Steve Delie flew to Baton Rouge at the end of April to testify on that legislation. If enacted, these bills would protect workers’ paychecks and their right to a private ballot, limit the use of taxpayer dollars for union activities, and provide greater accountability for union members.

I look forward to sharing even more positive news with you in the coming months